Army's Avelino overcomes amputation

WEST POINT — Gymnastics has changed Andrew Avelino in a way no one could have imagined.

Ken McMillan

WEST POINT — Gymnastics has changed Andrew Avelino in a way no one could have imagined.

A freak accident during a training session in the fall of 2010 damaged his knee in such a way that it cut off blood supply to the lower part of his right leg and eventually required an amputation. Even in the worst days that followed, Avelino was determined to return to West Point and the Army gymnastics team.

In the amputee community, Avelino's procedure is considered "a paper cut,'' he said. That's because he still has five or six inches of his leg remaining below his knee and with a sufficient prosthetic and proper rehabilitation Avelino could resume a normal life.

That wasn't enough for Avelino — he wanted to return to gymnastics, and his doctors and therapists at Walter Reed Hospital were confident that he could.

Avelino returned to West Point last March, two months after receiving his prostethic, and worked on some simple maneuvers in the gym. He performed some circles on the pommel horse and worked on some strength moves on the still rings.

"It definitely felt very off,'' he said, "but I just trusted all the physical therapy trainers and everyone else at Walter Reed who told me that eventually I would be able to do everything.''

Avelino made his collegiate debut two weeks ago at Penn State and posted Army's second-highest score on the high bar, placing seventh overall with a 13.2. Avelino was presented with the Gene Wettstone Award as the outstanding competitor of the meet and was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference gymnast of the week.

"I was real excited,'' he said. "It was great to get something my first weekend back, an accolade that I never thought I would get in the first place.''

"He's an inspiration,'' Army coach Doug Van Everen said. "The kid has never ever looked at this as like, 'I can't do this, I can't do this'. It's always been, 'This is what I am going to do. This is what I can do.' He's not going to let anybody tell him he can't do something. "» He's one of the toughest kids I've ever seen in my life.''

On Friday, Avelino competed in his first home meet. Going up last on the high bar for Army, Avelino struggled with his routine. He came down on the bar on one of his release moves and had trouble swinging out of it. He stumbled a bit on his landing and was given a score of 10.9. Still, he was pleased.

"I definitely wish I had come out a little stronger in our first home meet but I was happy with how I did,'' he said. "I am looking forward to doing better as the season goes along.''

Avelino was a promising young gymnast out of Tabuco Canyon, Calif. He was a finalist on pommel horse at the 2010 Junior Olympic Nationals and a Southern California State All-Star.

He was working on some skills on the trampoline at the Gross Center on Nov. 19, 2010, when the freak accident occurred. His leg came down straight and he hyper-extended his leg. He knew right away he had torn some ligaments in his knee (he tore all four, in fact) so he iced the joint overnight.

Returning to practice on crutches the next morning, Avelino was examined by a trainer and immediately taken to hospital. He had ruptured the popliteal artery behind the knee, hindering the blood flow to his thigh and calf.

"I had taken worse falls than that and just got up and walked away,'' Avelino said. "That one was mind-blowingly strange. Everything aligned in a bad way for me that day. It's just how it happens.''

One surgery was performed to see if the leg could be saved but the damage was done. His lower leg was amputated weeks later.

"At first I was in a little denial,'' he said, "just because all throughout my first few weeks in the hospital all I wanted to do was get back here. I was missing school and I was missing gym and I was really looking forward to a big season.''

"They told me there was a chance they could save it. I was hopeful. It didn't work. They told me I could continue being like everyone else and come back to the Academy and I could possibly continue gymnastics. That's all I needed to hear.''

Van Everen was thrilled to have Avelino back in the fall and he was ready to ease him back into shape. The initial plan was to have him compete on pommel horse, and soon enough Avelino asked if he could try the high bar. Van Everen agreed and Avelino let out a loud, "Yeahhhh, I am going to do the high bar!"

At first it was nothing but giant swings. Then Avelino started adding more elements and before long he had a full routine.

"The kid is relentless,'' Van Everen said. "He always smiles and always works hard. He just won't stop. I have to keep him on a leash.''

Avelino said he has a new perspective on how tough life at West Point can be. When he hears fellow Cadets complain about how hard they have it, he just smiles and says to himself, "You just don't know.''

"Everyone has been there to help me through it,'' Avelino said. "It started out hard but now I am just part of the team again.''

kmcmillan@th-record.com

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